Eggette/Story
Fondness Story I. Failure “Get down.” “Get down!” "..." At first there was only one voice, but soon it became a collective of voices. I was kicked off the stage. It was hard for me to look at my fellow performers in the eye. "You failed, again. " Squatting on the floor, I fiddled nervously with my staff. "We’re obviously better than you..." The show on the stage kept going on. Whenever it reached its climax, the audience’s cheers felt like waves. Crouching in the backstage, the feeling of helplessness continued to rise. “I envy you…” I unconsciously whispered. I wished I could perform in front of other people like they did. The stage is so beautiful and the audience so cheerful. Me, on the other hand, the only thing I had as an audience were broken wooden boxes and cobwebs. They didn’t need me. At the end of all that noise, the town square returned to its former tranquility. I walked among the crowd, which was very chaotic. Sitting on a chair, staring at the now empty stage, I extended my hands forward and began to row in the air. “First like this... then again...” For a moment, I stopped moving my hands to observe my magic wand, which tip had been surrounded by a halo. I began to sniff and the corners of my eyes were starting to fill up with tears. “I also want to perform on a true stage…” II. Appeasement and Encouragement I can’t even remember how many times I failed. I sat in the town square all night, until the following morning, when Pineapple Cake ran towards me anxious, and I realized the big mistake I made. “I’m sorry…” Before I could apologize, Pineapple Cake hugged me. “It’s ok.” She patted my head, just as she always did, and comforted me in a soft voice. “Let’s go back together.” “Eggette, do you know where you did wrong?” Master Attendant’s slightly serious voice echoed in the study. I huddled myself on the stool and took a few small sips from the hot tea. I lowered my head, not even daring to look up to see Master Attendant’s face. “Yes… I know…” I answered in a feeble voice. Usually, even the nicest Master Attendant would become strict when it comes to educate their Food Souls. “Then tell me.” I could feel a pair of eyes staring daggers at me. I didn’t need to look at her to know how angry she was right now. “No more magic shows.” “Wrong!” Her voice made me shiver. “It’s not that you shouldn’t use your magic to perform. What you shouldn’t do, is forget your responsibilities as a Food Soul.” “Normally I'm not the type to restrict the freedom of my Food Souls, but I could never ignore someone who crossed the line like you did.” “And it's time for you to realize that the stage is not for you, especially after failing some many times.” “……” I don't really remember what happened after that until I left the study. Probably because at that time I was trying my best to hold back my tears. I knew Master Attendant didn't mean to hurt me. And that something’s wrong with me. But I still thought I was wronged. When Master received more and more tasks, we had to start working seriously to carry them out successfully. There was no time to think about superfluous stuff. As for performing on a stage, I carefully put that idea aside, hiding it in a corner of my heart. Just when I started to think that the days would just go on like this, one morning, Pineapple Cake came to me. “This is a ticket for Mango Pudding’s concert.” She handed me a ticket with a gorgeous design. “Why?” I was stunned by the unexpected gift. "I know you haven’t given up yet, have you? You’d still like to perform on stage, wouldn’t you? Then go.” Pineapple Cake put the ticket in my hand. “Come on, Eggette, I believe in you.” “I… I… thank you, Pineapple Cake.” I jumped into Pineapple Cake’s arms and held her tight. She’s a good person who doesn’t dislike me and still cares about my dreams. But before I let her go, I realized a problem. “But Master Attendant’s probably going to be there too…” “…..” When I mentioned this issue, for a moment, Pineapple Cake’s expression became very strange, but it soon returned normal and she said to me calmly. “Don’t worry about that. I’ll help you.” “Really… Really!?” I always thought that Pineapple Cake seemed to be hiding something from me. In fact, what made her so sure that she could just persuade Master Attendant? Sensing the uneasiness clearly, I hurried to reply. “If not, forget about it. I don’t want you to be scolded by Master Attendant because of me.” “That doesn’t matter.” Said Pineapple Cake, holding my hand. “Let’s be at peace with this.” After having repeatedly confirmed that she wasn’t just trying to be brave, with a trace of guilt and gratitude, I quietly left home. Hopefully, this time I’ll find my way. III. Bitter Heart After leaving home, I followed the way to the location of the ticket and went to the nearby town without stopping. I've already been there before. I occasionally went there with Master Attendant to buy some utensils. At first, there weren’t many people. It wasn’t as crowded as it was soon later. The town was as busy as if a festival was going on. Looking at such a scene, I felt slightly lost. “Mango Pudding must be a very important person, right? " Murmuring, I grabbed the ticket in my hand. Of original boost Pineapple Cake had given me, only little to none was remained inside of me. Was I scared? Or just a little frightened? The night soon fell. People in light clothes, with fluorescent sticks in their hands, headed to somewhere in the town, talking and laughing. I arrived at the stage with the rest of the crowd, sat in my reserved seat, containing my excitement, and waited for the concert to begin. After a dull sound, the whole place fell into darkness. The chaotic crowd also gradually quieted down. Then the lights suddenly came on again. A figured had appeared in the middle of the stage. A yellow puffy skirt, curly hair that nearly touched the ground, a lovely face full of vitality. “Good evening!~ Here I am!” A sweet voice resounded through the town square thanks to the help of the stereo system. “I’m Mango Pudding. Did you miss me?” “Yes, we did!” There was deafening feedback from the people me around and the whole square was fired up. They lifted my spirits as well, and my heart began to beat fast. The lights began to flicker, and smoke started to rise from under the stage. Singing both low and high notes, Mango Pudding began to dance on the stage. My sight was getting blurry. “If only I could do the same…” The flame of my dream wasn’t ignited by the brilliant performance. On the contrary, it was beaten down even more violently. “I guess that’s just how things are…” A wish hung from my lips, but a nightmare haunted my mind. “That’s it…” I should never have even thought of it. For me it was impossible from the beginning. A sense of bitterness began to spread from the bottom of my mouth, and of my heart. IV. Rekindled Dream The singing stopped and the shouting crowd gradually fell silent. Everything calmed down, just like my heart at the moment. Even if that fire of desire for performing had not been extinguished yet, I could feel it was on the verge of disappearing. I thought I would find my way here, but I didn't. I was even more hopeless now. The reality of this disparity almost effortlessly cut down the stubbornness that I have always been sticking to. I lowered my head, tears seemed to come back to my eyes. Just then, all of a sudden, the people around me drew back from me and shouted something. I raised my head in a daze, only to find that Mango Pudding, still on the stage, was pointing her finger at me with a smile. “Mango Pudding is very happy today! I want to give you a present.” As she said this, she gave a sign to the staff to put the microphone in my hand. "I allow you to tell me your thoughts. You are the special one today." Suddenly, I woke up from my trance. I held the microphone and looked at Mango Pudding. The flickering of the flame stopped suddenly, to then grow bigger and bigger, as if firewood had been added to it. That dull idea, again. My mind was occupied by the inexplicable and growing thought. "Can I… " I opened my mouth, then froze again. After a while, I adjusted my mood and opened it again. “Can I be like you?” "Huh? " Mango Pudding showed a puzzled expression, while the people around me made a confused noise. I quickly lifted the staff behind me and tried to perform a magic trick. Flustered, I accidentally failed. There was a roar of laughter. I looked down sadly, but then I looked up again because of the agitation in my heart. "Miss Mango Pudding, can I be like you and indulge in performing on the stage? " The laughter echoed in my ears and my face was burning red, but I still stood with my teeth clenched and stared at Mango Pudding on the stage. I was looking forward to her reply. Even if… even if her answer wasn’t going to be the one I was hoping for. “Yes, you can.” My body trembled for a moment, and my eyes went suddenly wide open. “Yes, you can.” The people on the stage repeated her words again. "Why not? Everyone has the right to pursue their dreams and to succeed. " This moment, her voice, her smile, I’ll always remember it, deep in the bottom of my heart. “I will succeed!” I don't know where the courage came from. I held up the microphone and spoke loudly. “Miss Mango Pudding, I will succeed!” V. Eggette Eggette and Pineapple Cake served the same Master Attendant. She was usually kind, but when it came to key issues, she handled them with utmost care, especially since it benefitted the education of her Food Souls. It’s been a while since Eggette had left. Behind Pineapple Cake, stood the figure of Master Attendant. “Are you sure you’re fine with this?” Pineapple Cake turned around and looked up at her Master Attendant. “If he really won’t let it go, then I guess I’ll give him a chance.” The Attendant rubbed Pineapple Cake’s head, still keeping her kind, yet serious expression. "But... but you also know how good Mango Pudding is. What if he is too excited to properly perform again…" "If you don't have the courage, it's good to let go. "The Attendant cut off Pineapple Cake mid-sentence . "To be responsible for your dreams and to choose your responsibilities is the basic quality that every living creature should have. " Pineapple Cake nodded, and soon picked up from where she was interrupted, her mind lost in her own thoughts. "I want to be Master Attendant’s bride. " "Huh? " On the other hand, after meeting Mango Pudding, Eggette was accepted by the others. He has been recognized as a fellow performer and a winner. At the same time, he started to carry with him a desire he had never had before. After months of dedication, he finally found a way to perform and hold a successful show. Just as the beginning, everything that follows is planned beforehand. In his heart, Eggette will forever be grateful to Mango Pudding. Meanwhile. In the backstage of a concert. “I said, can you stop forcing me to do this!?” The petite and lovely girl, with her eyebrows narrowed, angrily scolded the staff standing on the other side, with a gesture totally inconsistent with the person that was standing on the stage mere moments before. “I don’t want to choose any more lucky spectators. Can’t I remove this feature from my future concerts?” Seeing the surprised faces of the staff, Mango Pudding realized what she had just done and returned to her usual self. “Oh well, I’ll just go on and discuss this matter with the Attendant.” Category:Food Soul Story